looking at a 155K 98 riviera, need some input

a lil info, i've been around the w-body since 06 and i currently am driving a 98 grand prix gtp with decent amount of mods. im usually over on clubgp.com as well as grandprixforums.net. the gtp's down for the count unfortunately and im planning on selling her.

im currently driving a 92 nissan 240sx. its a decent lil car that is manual and netting 27-29mpg even if im doing above 75mph on the freeway. i've been checking out craigslist for other beater/dd's to replace the 240sx and came across a seller/lady whos selling her black 1998 buick riviera for $2300(will offer her $2K and see how it goes). i havent checked the car out yet, but im going tomorrow after work to check it out. she sent pics via cell phone but not the best quality. all i know is its stock, has the L67 motor, black exterior and tan interior, and it has 155K miles. anyone could tell me anything on the riviera that i should look for b4 committing to buying it? with 155K i gotta be careful since i dont know the history of maintenance but im hoping she(yes its a female owner) has been taking care of it or a local decent garage.

i'll be checking the oil and tranny fluid and see if i can take the car for a test drive to see how it shifts. im also gonna bring my ls1m to scan for any current/pending codes in the pcm. although i dont much like the shape of the car, alot of people i kno actually like them, dunno why but i suppose its personal preference. if i do get it, its gonna stay mostly stock. stock pulley, manifolds, ect. only things i would modify is add a CAI, tune(hopefuly dhp has an unlock OSID), and firmer shifts(again DHP hopefully), and thats it. it'd be good for somewhere in 14 second range lol since it weighs a shit-ton. any help is greatly appreciated. thanks!

Welcome. With CAI and tune, you will probably run close to a 15 flat. That's assuming the car is in good running condition. Here's a thread that lists some of the problems we've encountered with our high-mile cars:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/care-maintenance-f8/high-mile-club-t769.htm

Best of luck!

thanks for pointing me in the right direction. 15s? wow, a bit slower than i thought it'd might run, but im not gonna turn it into a street-modified car like my gtp, just a nice comfortable car to drive around all-season.

Welcome! Actually, the Riv is only about two hundred lbs heavier than a GTP, it's the balance that makes it a poor drag car - the battery under the rear seat and better weight distribution overall make it a better ride, but harder to launch, because there is less weight over the front wheels. With my mods I should be in the high 13s, just need a better launch.

Sounds like you already know most of the 3800 platform's weaknesses, also check the climate control. The HVAC heads have bulbs go out and displays sometimes go eternally dim, plus the usual GM crappy blend door actuators.

hmm seems that the tranny tends to to go usually after the 100K mile marker. i'll have to pay close attention to the trans when i look and drive it. is the trans the same as whats in the other L67s, the 4T65E-HD?

Yes, it is a 4T65E-HD. I needed a rebuild before 100K, but the previous owner never changed fluid and filter and I bought the car at 76K miles, had the system flushed shortly after buying it and that's when the trans problems started eventually leading to a complete rebuild.
Make sure A/C system works as that could cost another $1,000 in repairs as I'm sure your aware of.
Sounds like you know cars well so just look for the obvious and hope she has some maintenance records for the big dollar repairs.

Make sure and look at the coolant for possible intake gasket leaks?

Since gas price's are on the rise again you should be able to get a discount...

Bert

If the proverbial little ol lady drove it the trans is probably in good shape. I have Rivs with 174k and 232k miles without having any transmission problems. Except for occasionally embarrassing Mustang, I do not race it. Some other things at that mileage.

On the Blue Riv with 232k miles, between 175k and 200k I had the following replaced:

Tires all around
Shocks all around.
Brake disks and pads all around.
Replaced SC coupler and oil.
Replaced all idler pulleys and both belts.
New spark plugs and wires
Clean throttle body.
Transmission and Cooling system service at 200k.

These are all wear items but they add up to a lot of cash between the miles that your car has and 200k. For me this was a six month time span but it just feels better than my 97 which really needs all of the above done. This is all pretty straight forward stuff and if you can do it all yourself it will cost you half what I paid.

I am currently looking at 98 to 99s. My focus is on the hard to deal with stuff like torn up leather or dash, broken AC vents, console. or anything that is hard to find parts for.

I can't believe you "don't much like the shape of the car"! They are automotive art.

welcome to the site